Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

J.R. wrote: Fri Jul 27, 2018 1:33 pm

blueeyedboy wrote: Thu Jul 26, 2018 5:42 pm But bringing the two strains back together momentarily, Founders Day Dinner on 5th October anyone? Invite has just landed in my mailbox. Now that might just be an interesting evening....

I have just the sneakiest feeling there won't be a massive take up this year.

I have a friend who is involved who has noticed no difference so far.

Cost alone put me off! £105 each, I’d need a night in London as well as fares there, rather too much when you’re a pensioner!

I've always found these formal dinners very "old school."
I think I'm the exception, but I've never seen the attraction of the vanity of dressing up and formal dinners. Travel is easy if you're in London, but otherwise it's a case of late trains/staying over, and all rather expensive once you add it up. Could do a few days of scuba diving for the cost of ONE evening of over indulgence! (everything is measured relative to scuba diving for Ben and I!) Give me an evening out with a couple of mates in a local cosy country pub any day!

I find Founders' Day an odd thing to be celebrating, given it was never celebrated whilst we are at school (except for the Senior Grecian who used to be invited I think?) - or I did I miss it?? It seems to be something which is only deemed to be important after leaving?

Julian

Didn’t we dress in ceremonial for Founders Day? I was definitely aware of it as we used to wind each other/ourselves up over the CH ghost story of the girl who haunts the dormitories on Founders Day night (I assume that came from Hertford).

I have never had a desire to go to a dinner though, even less so now. In fact, I have no intention of attending anything CH related again.

jtaylor wrote: Fri Jul 27, 2018 4:52 pmI've always found these formal dinners very "old school."

That "old school" vibe tends to be the major attraction, especially for people who've never had any personal experience with the English public school system. It's why Downton Abbey was so popular outside the UK.
Most scientist friends of mine who moved from Aus to Oxford/Cambridge for work have wanted to go to at least one high table college dinner while they were there. Almost all said that the first one was fun, but after that it all got a bit much, like someone was playing an elaborate practical joke but forgot to tell people they'd already passed the punchline. After that they only went when they had to. A few really got into the whole Oxbridge college lifestyle though, took to it like ducks to water.

jtaylor wrote: Fri Jul 27, 2018 4:52 pm I've always found these formal dinners very "old school."
I think I'm the exception, but I've never seen the attraction of the vanity of dressing up and formal dinners. Travel is easy if you're in London, but otherwise it's a case of late trains/staying over, and all rather expensive once you add it up. Could do a few days of scuba diving for the cost of ONE evening of over indulgence! (everything is measured relative to scuba diving for Ben and I!) Give me an evening out with a couple of mates in a local cosy country pub any day!

I find Founders' Day an odd thing to be celebrating, given it was never celebrated whilst we are at school (except for the Senior Grecian who used to be invited I think?) - or I did I miss it?? It seems to be something which is only deemed to be important after leaving?

Julian

You’re really not the exception, Julian. I can’t stand these things. In fact an aversion to formal dinners may be a recognised side-effect of a CH education.

I agree with you about having much better things to do with the money they cost. But on top of that the food in these mass catering events is usually mediocre, the speeches reek of self-satisfaction and are usually peppered with badly delivered anecdotes that either not funny or not true (or both), and somebody invariably gets so drunk they pee into a potted palm tree.

These days I try not to celebrate my own birthday so I’m never going to get dressed up to celebrate that of long dead priggish 15 year old. Apart from anything else by the time he signed the charter he was so close to death, and probably in so much pain, he probably hadn’t a clue what he was agreeing to.

Agreed. I go to lots of dull formal dinners with work, with terrible speeches and bland food, I can’t think of anything worse than spending money to attend in my spare time also.

I am with those in the exception.

Had to do a lot of poor formal dinners in the academic stage of qualifying which put me off for ever.

As it happens I live a few minutes from the country pubs that Julian describes and they are much more satisfying experiences and very much cheaper.

richardb wrote: Fri Jul 27, 2018 9:07 pm I am with those in the exception.

Had to do a lot of poor formal dinners in the academic stage of qualifying which put me off for ever.

As it happens I live a few minutes from the country pubs that Julian describes and they are much more satisfying experiences and very much cheaper.

.... and he can even direct you to a very very reasonable pub for lunch, drink and fantastic view over the Weald of Surrey and Sussex, although nowhere near his Northerrn residence, obviously !!

I have NEVER enjoyed formal dinners but even if I COULD afford it, I wouldn't attend.

HOWEVER, I would absolutely love to be a fly on the ceiling, listening to all the muted conversations.

Jim Rayner wrote: Fri Jul 27, 2018 7:03 pm You’re really not the exception, Julian. I can’t stand these things. In fact an aversion to formal dinners may be a recognised side-effect of a CH education.

My experience of eating with OBs has put me off for life; I was clearly of the wrong age to be spoken to. My name was never asked, the names of those present (if they had any) were never divulged and voices were quietenede less the spy from ....... overheard any CH related state secrets.

We must all be The Wrong Kind of Old Blues I wonder who does go?

Did anyone on here ever eat in the OB's Club when it was in London ?

I did once, and once was enough !!

J.R. wrote: Sun Jul 29, 2018 11:33 am Did anyone on here ever eat in the OB's Club when it was in London ?

I did once, and once was enough !!

Masochist; look at my post about the place which appears two before your post. AND the food was lousy as well

sejintenej wrote: Sun Jul 29, 2018 12:04 pm

J.R. wrote: Sun Jul 29, 2018 11:33 am Did anyone on here ever eat in the OB's Club when it was in London ?

I did once, and once was enough !!

Masochist; look at my post about the place which appears two before your post. AND the food was lousy as well

Apologies, David. I hadn't realised you were alluding to there.

It was yonks ago and I had a meeting with someone in 'The City', very near to the club.

I felt the atmosphere change as soon as I walked in. I guess all the old buffers were city gents, Masons, and didn't like their preserve being breached.